Miriam Pataki, Beeper Queen
by TwilightSparkle3562
Summary: In an effort to ensure the survival of his business, Bob appoints Miriam as co-head of the Beeper Emporium.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own "Hey Arnold!" or its characters. They are property of Nickelodeon and its affiliates.

"Miriam Pataki, Beeper Queen"

By TwilightSparkle3562

Chapter 1

"Miriam Is the Answer"

Bob Pataki sat in his office at the Beeper Emporium he created trying to get himself back up to speed after being out of the business due to a back injury. No sooner did he step back into his business surroundings did he notice something different about his business. All of his employees were in a very good mood, much to his surprise and bewilderment.

"Morning, Bob," said a young woman with bright blonde hair as she handed him a stack of papers. "Here are some business results that occurred while you were away."

Looking at the results in front of him, Bob was stunned to see what was before him.

"Since when did she raise the profits?" Bob asked himself in a hushed tone, much to the woman's confusion. "I never expected to…"

"Sir?"

"Oh, uh," stammered Bob, putting the papers down and giving the woman his undivided attention. "I see that Miriam did well in my absence."

"She did, Bob. In fact, something that a lot of us have been meaning to tell you in the event you came back."

"What is that?" Bob asked.

"Have you ever considered maybe…bringing Miriam on…as a permanent employee?"

To Bob, this was a surprise. Up until that moment, he never thought that his own wife would have any potential in life…let alone filling in for him.

"Um…" promised Bob. "Let me think about this for a bit, Hilary. Remember that Miriam only came on for me for a temporary period of time."

"But, with the profits being down, sir…"

"Leave me at once."

Heeding her boss's order, Hilary did as she was told and left Bob alone. Even during his morning meetings, Bob was careful to notice the upbeat attitude of his normally bad attitude employees. Everywhere they went, he could see his wife's fingerprints all over the business.

"Hey Bob, since when were you married to a genius?" remarked one young employee from behind a counter. "Miriam's the answer we've been looking for."

The more Bob listened to more like this, the more he became more and more conflicted. In his mind, he never thought Miriam was to be the answer he was looking for in terms of growing his business. Offices that were normally dirty and filled with garbage were cleaned and employee moral was high. Employees who were normally dressed as slobs, were now looking more professional.

…

That afternoon, Bob went over to his neighborhood barber shop for his haircut still thinking of how much of an impact Miriam had truly made.

"Hey Nolo, can I ask you something?" Bob asked his longtime barber. "Have you ever had an employee who had made such an impact on your business?"

"Oh, plenty of times, Bob," replied the elderly barber. "Sadly, they went on to make other careers. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that…I hurt my back recently and my wife has been filling in for me."

"Miriam?" Nolo remarked. "Since when did she start getting a job? Doesn't she have depression and an alcohol problem?"

"Yes, but it's like she steps into my business and becomes a whole different Miriam. Then again, before my back injury, the emporium had been struggling. Now that Miriam has done her job, my employees are already asking me to bring her back on a permanent basis. Could it be that maybe Miriam is the long term solution for the survival of my business, Nolo?"

"It's possible, Bob. Then again, we all must come to a realization that we can't run a business alone. In fact, even I have been thinking about bringing on a partner. It's never easy, but it's something to consider greatly."

…

Bob returned to the Beeper Emporium remembering very strongly what Nolo had said. In fact, he couldn't help but realize that perhaps this establishment he built up from the ground up needed an extra set of hands. For the rest of the day, he went about his business and when he returned home that night, he saw Miriam sitting in the kitchen. He saw that she wasn't drinking a smoothie and feeling sorry for herself as always but was working on going through the job ads. This was a surprise to him.

"Miriam?" Bob asked as he walked into the kitchen. "I uh…didn't expect to see you here, looking at the job ads."

"I've got to make a living, B," Miriam answered, her attention locked onto the newspaper ads. "Filling in for you at the Beeper Emporium has made me realize that. Is everybody still living by the standards I enforced?"

"The last I checked, yes," sighed Bob, sitting down next to his wife. "You know, people have been asking for you to come back to the Emporium."

This made Miriam stop looking at the ads and focus all of her attention to her husband.

"Are they really, B?" she asked, her voice filled with shock. "Are they really asking me to come back?"

"They are. In fact, with the way the business is going, I can't do it alone. I…I need a Beeper Queen for the sake of the Emporium's survival and overall future. Will you accept my offer?"

The more Miriam listened, the more she couldn't help but feel for the first time in her life that she had been wanted.

"If it means making sure that everyone continues to keep up to my standards, then yes," Miriam answered firmly. "When do you want me to come in?"

"Tomorrow."

"But, what about Helga? I don't want to do what I did to her again."

"You can just work while she's in school, Miriam. Then, you can be there for her when she gets out of school."

It was a lot for Miriam to take in, but Bob realized that he needed to play to his strengths and if Miriam had made a major impact on his business, then she was the answer that he had been looking for.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Return of Professional Miriam"

When Bob went to bed that night, he knew that there was only one way for his Beeper Emporium to survive in the long run. To him, there was something about Miriam that resonated with him in terms of good business for the Emporium.

…

The next morning, Bob awoke and looked up at the noise of rushing water coming from the upstairs bathroom.

"Dad, what's mom doing in the shower?" Helga asked as she came downstairs. "She's never in the shower at this time."

"Helga, there's something that I've been meaning to tell you," Bob replied, looking over at his youngest daughter. "I've asked your mom to come back to the Beeper Emporium."

Right away, Helga began to get a worried look on her face. She remembered all too well how her mother became neglectful when she became too absorbed with running the Emporium during Bob's injury.

"Now before you say anything," he continued, taking a drink of coffee. "Your mom is going to work only when you're in school. If there is anything I have learned from recent, is that both of us need to be better parents to you."

"Dad, are you sure about that?"

"I have to be sure about it. All the attempts I have tried to build a legacy for the business and for this family have all but either failed or never came to frutition."

"Such as when you tried to cut down our favorite tree and threatened to demolish Arnold's neighborhood," Helga remarked, much to Bob's displeasure. "Face it dad, you will never succeed in doing what you have been doing to make yourself look good."

The bluntness in his daughter's voice made it very clear that what Bob was hearing was indeed true. All of the attempts he did to grow his business was nothing short of futile.

…

Just then, the sounds of high heels were heard as Miriam, dressed in her cranberry business suit and her blonde hair tied in a bun, came into the kitchen.

"Well, I take that professional Miriam has returned," remarked Bob.

"She has, B," replied Miriam. "Did you tell Helga that…?"

"I did. I told her that you will only work at the Emporium while she is in school. Still, that doesn't excuse you from making sure that all my soaps are taped for when I come home."

"Of course, B," Miriam sighed. "However, it's going to become a real life soap opera if things don't improve around the emporium."

"Save the discussions for when we get to the Emporium, Miriam," Bob said as he rose from the kitchen table. "I'm sure that all my workers would love to hear what you have to say. Now, I've got some meetings this morning with a few customers. Why don't you join me as soon as you come in after dropping off Helga?"

With those words, Bob headed out the door leaving Miriam to take Helga to school.

…

…

Having dropped off Helga at school, Miriam arrived at the Beeper Emporium and right away she was met with the delighted faces of her husband's work force.

"Welcome back, Miriam," said a young employee. "Glad Big Bob came to his senses."

"Maybe things will get more better around here," remarked another employee as Miriam took notice of his dirtied and disheveled appearance. It was clear to Miriam that her return to the Beeper Emporium was more needed than ever.

…

Approaching her husband's office, Miriam walked inside and joined the meeting Bob was holding with several other associates. Right away, Miriam couldn't help but notice something off about her husband's meeting attendees.

"Ah, Miriam," Bob said as she sat down. "I want you to meet a few associates of mine: Dion O'Grady, George "Bugs" Mullen and Earl "Hymie" Stivic."

"Uh, nice to…meet you," Miriam said nervously, waving at them. "I'm sure Bob has told you about the job I did while I filled in for him."

"Of course, Mrs. Pataki," Dion said in an Irish accent while puffing out smoke from a cigar. "He's explained how the profits have tripled while you were running the business in his absence."

"Dion, George and Earl all run several independent beeper shops in the area and are looking to partner with us," explained Bob. "Like me, they want to grow their businesses."

But to Miriam, there was something about these three men that seemed off. She couldn't help but notice how they were dressed, how they presented themselves overall. Still, for the sake of her husband and the business that bore the family name, she keep herself quiet. But she noticed that there was a silver shiny object in the waist of one of the men.

"I'm sure that we are all eager to work together," said Earl in a Polish Accent. "By the grace of God, we will."

"He's a devote church goer, Mrs. Pataki," said Dion. "Goes every Sunday. I also hear that you are quite a devote churchgoer yourself."

"When I'm not feeling sorry for myself and drinking like I did in the past," said Miriam.

"Indeed," murmured George. "Anyways, Bob. Can you give each of us a stock of 100 boxes of beepers every week going forward?"

"As long as you give us 20% of the profits you make then yes, I think we can work something out. Shall we shake hands on it?"

Like good businessmen, they all shook hands and the meeting was over. No sooner did they leave did Miriam become slightly nervous.

"Well, that's settled then," Bob said, immediately taking notice of Miriam's nervous look. "What's the matter with you?"

"B, if you don't mind my asking. Did you notice how different those guys are? They almost look as if they are from the Celtic Mob."

"That's because they are, Miriam. I thought you knew about how some guys will do anything to keep their business open and their lives spared."

"Bob, I don't think that…maybe for our families protection, we shouldn't do business with gangsters. Why don't we do something that doesn't involve doing business with criminals?"

Bob had his reservations because in his mind, he didn't see any issues of what Miriam was trying to explain to him. But then again, he brought his wife on for a reason and that was to ensure the long term survival of his business. In time, Bob would have to make sacrifices, even ones that he would not want to make…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"We Shouldn't Do Business with Gangsters"

"What do you mean we shouldn't do business with those guys, Miriam?" Bob asked as Miriam looked down at him at the conference table. "Just because they are…organized criminals and such, it doesn't mean that they are going to hurt anyone."

But Miriam wasn't convinced in the slightest.

"As your new business partner, I have to disagree with you," she said, walking over to pour herself a glass of water. "In the short time that I filled in for you, your business isn't like all the other businesses in Boston. The electronics stores that I researched do have some standards to hold such as how an employee presents himself or herself to the customer."

"What's wrong with my people looking like what they are, Miriam? What is in your mind on how people should present themselves?"

Putting the glass of water down on the table, Miriam stood in front of Bob showing off the cranberry business suit she was wearing.

"Look at what I'm wearing, Bob," she said. "This suit is what customers see me in and right away, they know that I am someone who knows what they are doing. They respect me, they trust me for what I do. Some of your workforce doesn't get that respectability they so crave from our customers."

"But Dion, George and Earl were wearing suits and they looked respectable. Why should it make any difference?"

"Because they are from organized crime," Miriam answered, sitting down in front of Bob once again. "And I again, noticed that one of your associates had a gun on his waist. What if there was a customer who comes in here with children and they see someone holding a gun on them? What would they do? They would leave the store and never return."

Bob was amazed at how mature his wife had now become. Still, he was the boss and he had the final say.

"The fact is B, we need to move out of our current location and into a more upscale area of Boston."

"Miriam, what you are asking us to do is very risky. I can't just go over to the Celtic Mob and say that we were packing up and moving on account of the fact that they are bad for business. You know these organized crime people will kill you if they find out you double cross them."

Still, Miriam stuck to her guns.

"Just tell them that for the sake of the business, it was your idea to sever ties with the Celtic Mob," suggested Miriam. But Bob wasn't backing down that easily. Needing time to think this through, he got up and left the conference room, leaving Miriam alone.

…

…

Walking back to his office, Bob could only wonder if Miriam was asking him to do the right thing and end all business with organized criminals.

"How could she expect me to just say out of the blue that we no longer do business with organized criminals?" he thought to himself. "Okay, she wants our customers to be safe, but so do the organized associates who need our products to finance their own business. Well, I can't be the one to say no."

Pressing a button on his desk, Bob attempted to have an associate pay a visit to the Celtic Mob.

"Hey, uh, Karen," he said. "Can you send Hillary up here?"

"Yes, sir."

…

A few moments later, the door to Bob's office opened and in stepped a young woman wearing a dark green business skirt suit, yellow green undershirt, tan pantyhose and white high heels with her black hair tied in a bun.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Pataki?" she asked nervously. "You said you wanted to see me."

"Uh, look Hillary, I know you have been with us for a short time," Bob replied. "But, I need you to do something for me."

"What is it, sir?"

"I need you to do a run to Dion O'Grady's place and relay a message to him that I can no longer do business with him and the rest of the Celtic Mob."

The young associate gulped nervously as she received her instructions.

"Y…y…yes, sir," she answered nervously. "I'll do it right away."

"Good and be careful out there. You know how those gangsters can be."

Heeding her instructions, the professionally dressed young woman left the office and Bob sighed deeply, thinking that the weight and responsibility of going to face his criminal associates was off his shoulders.

…

…

For two hours, Hillary had not returned and some of Bob's employees were growing concerned.

"Has anyone seen Hillary lately?" asked one associated. "She hasn't been back in two hours."

"Yeah, she's claustrophobic and can't stand small places. It's not like her."

"What's going on here?" Miriam asked the two associates as she walked onto the sale floor. "Who hasn't been back in two hours?"

"It's Hillary, Miriam," replied one of the two associates. "Bob sent her on an errand and hasn't returned, yet. Something about delivering a message to O'Grady that we weren't doing business with the Celtic Mob or something like that."

Right away, Miriam began to a sick feeling in her stomach. In her mind, Bob had made a grave mistake.

"Tell Bob that I'm going on a half hour break," she said immediately dashing out of the emporium. "I'll be back soon."

…

Racing into her car, Miriam left the Emporium and drove hastily towards the area where the Celtic Mob frequented. She began to develop a sick feeling in her stomach and could only wonder why Bob wouldn't just go face the Celtic Mob himself. Finally, she saw what appeared to be a white high heeled shoe lying in back of a car.

"B, you didn't," Miriam thought as she parked her car and got out to investigate. No sooner did she approach the car did Miriam hear the sounds of screaming from inside the trunk of a car. Opening the trunk up, there in the back was Hillary, stripped down to her underwear and her arms and legs bound together with a piece of duct tape on her lips.

All Miriam could do was stand in disbelief and anger at what she was seeing before her eyes. Reaching into her purse, she grabbed her phone and called the Beeper Emporium.

"Robert Joseph Pataki," she said angrily. "Get down here right now and see what your so-called friends did to Hillary!"

…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Something's Gotta Change"

Miriam waited for the Boston police to arrive as they helped the stripped and bounded Hillary out of the car.

"Big, Open, Spaces," she chanted as the gag was taken off of her. "Big Open Spaces. Big Open Spaces. Big Open Spaces."

No sooner was Hillary freed from her bonds did Bob race his way onto the scene as fast as he could. When he saw the cops throw a blanket onto Hillary, he got out of the car and raced over.

"Hillary, what in the hell happened?" he asked in a concerned voice. "Who did this to you?"

"Your fellow salesman," Miriam said angrily tapping her foot down. "Bob, what did I tell you about doing business with gangsters?"

"Miriam, I swear that this wouldn't have happened," Bob protested with his new wife and business partner glaring at him.

"But…but…but it did happen!"

A few moments later, several cops came out with the handcuffed Dion O'Grady and two other men being led out.

"You son of a bitch," Bob muttered as he glared at them.

"This is all your fault, Robert," Dion remarked. "When you brought that bitch next to you into your business."

To show his displeasure, Dion spat at Miriam as he was led into the car.

"Why did you have to send her, Bob?" Miriam demanded. "Because you thought that sending a woman would result in no violence. Well, it did! Hillary will probably end up having something worse coming out of this. What if it was Helga who was attacked by those thugs you do business with, huh?! Think about that for a moment, why don't you?!"

In a fit of rage, Miriam left her husband to think about his actions as the cops removed Hillary's discarded suit from the establishment.

…

The attack on his young associate left Bob feeling very disgusted with himself. Up until that moment, working with the underground seemed like a good business. Unfortunately, it had it's consequences and it showed by such a pervasive action. For the rest of the day, Bob remained holed up in his office, thinking of what to do now.

"Bob, your wife called," said Karen as she walked into his office. "Hillary is okay, just really shaken up."

"Thanks Karen," Bob replied as he let out a deep sigh. "How in the hell did this happen? I didn't want violence, I never had violence with this people. Sure, a few of my associates have organized crime activities, but they knew to keep their hands to themselves. Maybe Miriam is right, Big Bob's Beeper Emporium should stop associating with organized crime. But, it isn't that simple."

…

Just then, there was another knock at the door and the door opened to reveal a police detective.

"Detective Sergeant Bridges, Boston PD," he said, showing his badge to Bob. "Are you Robert J. Pataki?"

"Yes," Bob replied ushering Karen to shut the door to his office. "What can I do for you?"

"I've been assigned to investigate what happened to your associate, Hillary Carpenter," Detective Bridges explained. "We understand that you do have some organized crime ties, do you not?"

"Well, yes, Detective. However, I can assure you that until today, there has never been an organized crime attack on an associate of my emporium."

"Mr. Pataki, I must warn you that you could be placed under arrest for willful misconduct for allowing your associate to go into a crime area unprotected."

This to Bob was a shock. Sure he had been neglectful in allowing his associate to be subjected to such violence, but being arrested? That was something he couldn't allow to happen.

"Look Detective, I don't want any trouble, believe me," stammered Bob. "All I want is for this investigation to end as quickly as possible. And furthermore, as of now, I will no longer associate with the Celtic Mob. Any associates I have that are connected with them will be let go."

"It isn't that simple, Mr. Pataki," sighed Detective Bridges. "Associating with Organized Crime in any city is very dangerous. If I were you, I'd sever ties with all organized crime, Mr. Pataki."

Standing up, Bob paced back and forth, trying to process everything that the detective was telling him.

"There are several other organizations who are waiting for me to send them my products so they can sell them," Bob said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Tell them that you have changed your mind after one of your associates was shot and killed by someone in the Celtic Mob," ordered the detective. "If it helps, we'll have a squad watch over the Emporium and your home as a precaution."

Not wanting to argue with the law, Bob reluctantly agreed to do as he was told.

…

Back at Mass General Hospital, Miriam waited outside while Hillary was checked for any injuries she might had obtained during her brief period of captivity. A few moments later, another police detective came into the waiting room flanked by two patrol officers.

"Excuse me," Miriam asked the detective. "Are you from Boston PD?"

"Detective Edwards, Boston PD," said the detective. "Who are you?"

"I'm Miriam Pataki, Co-owner of Big Bob's Beeper Emporium," answered Miriam. "Hillary is an employee."

The detective gave Miriam a glance before turning his attention to what he had to do. Miriam wanted to go inside, but she couldn't as there were two officers guarding her room.

A little while later, Detective Edwards walked out of the room and approached Miriam.

"She's being kept for her mental evaluation, Mrs. Pataki," he said. "At this point, we aren't sure when she'll be released."

"It doesn't matter as long as Hillary is safe," sighed Miriam. "Not even 24 hours into co-ownership and already something like this happens."

"Excuse me?" asked Detective Edwards. "You were just made co-owner of your business?"

"Yes," Miriam answered. "My husband hurt his back and I filled in for him while he recovered. I can assure you that we will cooperate with the authorities in any way."

"Very good," said Detective Edwards. "I want you to come down to the station and give us a statement in an hour, both you and your husband. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

…

With those words, the detective left and Miriam called Bob to tell him they were both being called to give statements.

…

This, to Miriam, was another sign that things needed to change at the Beeper Emporium, but Bob also needed to be on the same page.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Giving Statements"

"What do you mean we have to give statements, Miriam?" Bob asked over Miriam's phone shortly after they were met by the respective authorities. "Did it seem like we intentionally put Hillary in danger for doing her job?"

"It wasn't me Bob, it's you who put Hillary in danger," Miriam retorted in a commanding voice. "The time to move from the underworld to the upper world is now whether you like it or not."

Bob sighed at his wife's demand, knowing that it wasn't easy to simply back away from doing business with the organized crime syndicates.

"Look, the detective said that he will provide protection at home and at the business. Just even that may not be enough, Miriam. If you double cross these guys, you pay with your lives."

But Bob wasn't prepared for what he heard next.

"For the sake of both business and family, that's a chance I am willing to take."

To Bob, this seemed like an out of character moment for his wife. Up until that moment, he saw Miriam as a housewife who would feel sorry for herself with only alcohol for comfort. Now, he was seeing her in a different light.

"All right, we'll play by your rules, Miriam. Let's just hope it works. I'll meet you at the police station in an hour."

Hanging up the phone, Bob got up and made his way down to the police station to give his statement along with Miriam.

…

At the station, Bob and Miriam were questioned about their connections with the Celtic Mob. Most of the questions were for Bob, but Miriam wasn't spared. The detectives particularly were questioning her about two of the emporium's clients she worked with during her husband's injury period.

"Now, uh, Mrs. Pataki," said Detective Bridges, looking down at records on his desk. "According to these company records we obtained from the Emporium, you were associating with two clients from Buffalo, yes?"

"Yes," she said, scratching her left leg. "They seemed harmless to me. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary with them."

"We contacted the Buffalo Police Department and those two men were from the Buffalo crime family," replied Detective Edwards. "Apparently, they were seeking to obtain beepers for their organization by order of the crime head."

All of the attention once again switched over to Bob.

"Mr. Pataki," asked Detective Bridges. "What is it that you see in organized criminals that makes you think that they are good for your business?"

Feeling on the spot, Bob realized that he had no other choice but to confess.

"Because they are customers who will keep coming back for more," he explained. "Again, most of the organized crime syndicates I work with try to be harmless. They know that I would never double cross them unless if I wanted to ask for trouble."

"But they aren't harmless, Bob," Miriam remarked. "They are devious and dangerous and people that you don't want to be messing around with. If you think that this is a one time thing, you're wrong."

"Your wife is right, Mr. Pataki," Detective Edwards said as he rose to his feet and began circling around Bob. "Organized crime is a very dangerous world to live in. Do you even realize how many people are killed every day in related to organized crime? You are lucky that your associate wasn't killed and rather tormented."

The coldness in the detective's voice made Bob wince slightly.

"Now," Detective Bridges said, taking over the questioning. "Dion O'Grady is being charged with attempted rape and second degree battery. Do you wish to testify against him at a possible trial?"

"I would," Bob replied, noticing Miriam glaring at him. "Because the last thing I want is for criminals to one day barge in and start shooting up the emporium."

"Then, I'm going to refer you both to the witness protection program," said Detective Bridges, getting up and opening the door to the office. "If I were you, I would consider moving your establishment as soon as possible and washing away any connection with organized crime."

With those words, Bob and Miriam left the police station absorbing all that was spoken to them.

…

When they all returned home that day, they saw two police cruisers parked right outside their penthouse.

"Mom, what's going on here?" Helga asked nervously. "Why are their cops here?"

"Helga," Miriam explained, trying to not scare her youngest daughter out of her wits. "Something bad happened at the Beeper Emporium today."

"What happened?"

"Just something bad happened today, Helga."

Helga was unconvinced by her mother's words and no sooner did she come into the house was Bob already on the phone.

"Who's dad on the phone with?"

"Business matters, sweetie. Why don't you go up and do some homework?"

"Um, okay."

…

With Helga gone, Miriam was left alone with Bob in the living room while he was on the phone.

"Look, it's nothing personal, Joe. It's something that just came up out of the blue, that's all. Goodbye."

Hanging up, Bob ran his fingers through his hair.

"That's was Buffalo, Miriam," he said as Miriam removed her suit jacket and sat down next to her husband. "The two guys you spent schmoozing, they ain't coming back now. How could this happen to me?"

"Maybe this is just another sign that things need to change, Bob. Organized crime is not the long term answer for the Beeper Emporium. And besides, there are plenty of specific areas that we can consider for possible employment with us."

"What did you have in mind?"

Miriam had her plan in mind, but didn't want to relay the details to Bob.

"Well, whatever it is," he remarked. "You are the one to search for it, Miriam. I'm trusting you to build whatever workforce you think is acceptable for us going for while I deal with severing my ties with organized crime. Understand?"

"Yes, Bob."

And Miriam went about finding the right kind of people to run their Beeper Emporium. What she had in mind was a special group of people longing to be like all members of society…


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"The Perfect Workforce"

Miriam went up to her bedroom and while Bob continued severing his ties with organized crime, she was hard at work trying to build a new special kind of workforce for the Beeper Emporium. It was very easy for her to find a likely group of people to bring into the business.

"Come in," Miriam called as she heard a knock on the door.

"Mom, can you please tell me why we have cops outside our house?" Helga asked, catching Miriam's attention away from her assigned task. "I'm feeling scared."

"Helga, I didn't want to tell you this, but…one of our employee's was attacked by one of the crime organizers that we donate beepers to from time to time."

This caused the youngest Pataki daughter to feel her heart sink. Being a girl, Helga was somewhat nervous about being told the truth.

"I'd go into details, but it would be too much for you to take in," said Miriam. "To make a long story short, I've told your father that as long as I remain his partner, that there would be some changes to the Beeper Emporium."

Helga then walked around and saw what her mom was looking at: it was a website for people with disabilities.

"Why are you looking at that disability website?" Helga remarked, a hint of disgust in her voice. "You aren't seriously thinking of bringing in these people into dad's business, aren't you?"

This made Miriam turn her attention to Helga and give her a glare.

"Because it's the only way we are going to survive," Miriam answered firmly. "I'm sure you've seen plenty of disabled classmates at school, right?"

"Well, yeah," Helga stammered, shrugging her shoulders. "But, why do they even have to be in school to begin with? They aren't like the rest of us."

"Because they deserve every bit of respect and inclusion in every way of life," Miriam replied, turning her attention back to the laptop computer in front of her. "Take a look at this website I'm going over."

Gesturing Helga forward, Miriam showed her the website she was on: it was a website for an organization called the Autism Association of New England.

"Do you see this boy?" Miriam asked, pointing towards a boy smiling widely and having a good time in the picture.

"Yeah," Helga said. "But, I don't get it. He's like everybody else around here."

"That's because he has autism, little lady. Autistic people want to be accepted for who they are among other groups of people, Helga. However, there are plenty of people with this disability that are shunned for who they are."

Still, Helga didn't get the full message.

"Listen, for the longest time, your father has been sending a negative message to Boston and the surrounding communities. What he needs to do is to open the doors of Big Bob's Beepers to a group of people that would love to say 'Thank you for giving my son a chance; thank you for giving my daughter a chance.'"

…

"Mom, they probably won't want to work. A lot of kids at school are just lazy, stupid and inconsiderate."

"That is not true, Helga!" Miriam snapped, feeling very offended.

"But it is true, right? These weirdos won't know their butt from their elbow."

The more Miriam listened, the more she wanted to strike Helga for saying those words. But, she had to keep herself under control. Instead, she put her laptop aside and took a pen and pointed it at Helga.

"Never insult special people, especially autistic people, in front of me," she whispered sternly, taking the pen away from Helga. "There are some things we just won't have around here, Helga. Not as long I remain a partner in the Beeper Emporium."

Not wanting to infuriate her mother any further, Helga walked out of the bedroom nervously as Miriam returned to the task at hand.

…

A little while later, she came back down the stairs where Bob remained on call with various criminal organizations, severing ties with them.

"I can't believe I'm doing this, Miriam," he groaned, rubbing his face into his hands. "All the people we had connections with…I feel like I'm betraying them."

"One day you'll thank me and yourself for doing this, B," Miriam replied, not caring about Bob's true feelings. "Anyways, I found the kind of people we need to bring into the business."

"What is it?"

"For starters, people with autism."

Bob's eyes widened open on hearing this suggestion.

"People with autism?" he gasped. "What makes you think that people with autism are going to make a difference in our business, Miriam? Sure I have respect for them, but in the end, they are going to hurt business."

"No they won't, Bob," Miriam protested. "The only reason why they aren't being accepted is because they are not being given a chance to be accepted! Don't you see? This is the answer we've been looking for. Can you imagine all of the respect you will be getting as the Beeper King if you take someone with this disability on as an associate?"

For Bob, he knew that Miriam had good intentions. However, he was hesitant about taking that first step in question.

"You're scared about this, aren't you?" Miriam remarked, folding her arms in front of Bob. "You're scared that people with disabilities like autism are going to hurt business as opposed to working with organized crime who only care about money and product?"

"It's not that, Miriam! It's…"

Bob struggled to get his words out but was unable to. Sooner or later, he would have to accept what Miriam was trying to do for the family business.

"I've never done this before," he tried to say.

"We're going to do this together, Bob. Trust me, you asked me to come onto the Beeper Emporium for a reason and this is it. We need to move forward, not go back to old ways. The organized crime connections, they are done. That book is closed on that chapter! Tomorrow morning, you and I will drive down to Watertown and meet with these people."

…

Just then, Bob's cell phone buzzed and he answered it.

"Hello?" he said. "What? He pleaded guilty? Thanks."

"Who was it?"

"Dion O'Grady pleaded guilty for what did to Hillary Carpenter," Bob replied. "He's been sentenced to 30 years in prison."

With the thought of a criminal trial out the window, the time to move on to the task of bringing in employees with disabilities took center stage with Miriam Pataki herself leading the charge…


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Meeting at AANE"

The next morning, Miriam drove herself and a reluctant Bob down to the AANE's main headquarters in Watertown. To Bob, he wasn't sure of bringing on disabled people into his beeper emporium. But to Miriam, this was the only way in order to ensure the Beeper Emporium's overall survival. Waiting in the waiting room, both Miriam and Bob could only imagine what was about to happen.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pataki?" asked a woman in an Indian accent. "I'm Shanti Israni, the director of employment services for AANE."

"Delighted to meet you," Miriam said as she rose to her feet and shook Shanti's hand. "This is my husband, Bob."

Having gone through the formalities, Shanti led them into her office and they all sat down at a small table. Bob still had his reservations about the whole situation, but Miriam remained deeply focused. To her, this was the only way to help secure a future for the Beeper Emporium that her husband had built.

"Now, according to your email, Miriam," began Shanti as she held out a printed email from the night before. "You say that you want to start bringing in some of our clients on as employees, correct?"

"That is what we would be desiring," replied Miriam. "As you might have known, Big Bob's Beepers is trying to break away from our previous clientele of organized crime figures."

"Indeed," agreed Shanti. "I read about what happened to that woman. How is she?"

"Still in the hospital," sighed Miriam. "Apparently, they are moving her to a psychiatric ward because her mind is so damaged from her ordeal."

Bob said nothing at this statement. In his mind, he still felt embarrassed and ashamed of his actions.

"Mr. Pataki, maybe its wrong of me to butt in like this," said Shanti. "But, in all of your success as owner of the Beeper Emporium, have you ever considered the possibility of keeping your employees safe?"

"Up until what happened, no," he replied quietly, getting up and walking back and forth. "All I cared about was the profits and nothing else. Besides, up until that moment, I thought something like this would never happen."

"But it did happen, B."

"Mr. Pataki, if there is one thing that every business needs to put in first and foremost is the safety of its workforce," explained Shanti. "Do you even understand how nervous parents of our clients are when their children end up working? They are afraid of wandering off or worse. You need to be more opening and…"

"All right, all right, I get it!" he cried, not wanting to be shamed any longer. "Maybe what I had been doing was wrong and I need to bring the business in a new direction. You don't have to tell me twice!"

Exasperated, Bob sat back down next to his wife, burying his face in his hands.

"Bob, for the past few months, I have been reviewing the Point of Sales," Miriam said as she took her cell phone out of her purse. "And look here at how far our sales have dropped."

Taking his wife's phone, Bob skimmed through the Point of Sales carefully. The more he looked at it, the more he realized that the profits weren't coming in.

"It's not just about safety, Bob," Miriam continued. "By working with organized crime, we're giving away product and losing money as a result. We can't support ourselves and neither can our employees by doing this practice. Besides, think of the moral we could be setting as a business. For the employees we have right now, they need to have an example in front of them that is more than just making money."

Bob realized at that moment that there was no turning back. He needed to accept the two most important changes in front of him: growing profits and setting a good example for employment at his business.

"I agree with what your wife is saying, Mr. Pataki," said Shanti. "All of our young adult clients have a desire, a hunger to want to earn a decent living in their lives. But, they want to do it in a safe environment. What would that take?"

"Ms. Israni, I'll consider what you have to say," he said. "But, I need time to consider the options here. Give me time."

…

…

The meeting was over and the Pataki's returned to the Beeper Emporium.

"What do you mean we need time?" Miriam asked as they got out of the car and headed back into the emporium. "Bob, time right now isn't our friend."

"I'm aware of that, Miriam," Bob remarked.

"What's going on?" asked an associate.

"Nothing just keep doing what you do, Jones," Bob said before returning to the conversation he had with Miriam. "Look, the fact is Miriam, is that I don't have any grudge against bringing on employees with disabilities. But, we need to hire a new staff to train them, a staff who specializes in dealing with employees with disabilities."

Walking into his office, Bob then got himself an idea. He wouldn't be the one to do this project and instead have someone else take over.

"In fact, I'm gonna let you handle this project," he said, as he sat down at his desk. "You are the one who is going to be bringing in the 'disabled' employees like the Pied Piper and if it doesn't work out…"

"It will work out, B," Miriam interrupted, leaning on her husband's desk. "You just have to trust me on it."

And with that, he allowed Miriam to take over the process of starting to revamp the image of the Beeper Emporium in order to preserve its overall future. It was going to take some work, but it was a challenge that Miriam was eager to take.

…

But first, she had some important matters to attend to such as checking on the condition of Hillary Carpenter, the young employee attacked by Bob's former gangster clients.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Dark Side of the Beeper Emporium"

With the decision to bring in special needs employees to the Beeper Emporium standing firm, Miriam proceeded to take care of a far more personal matter concerning Hillary, the young employee attacked by Bob's former gangster associate. Arriving at the hospital, Miriam entered Hillary's room which was now in the psychiatric ward of Mass General.

"Big…open…spaces," she whispered repeatedly. "Big…Open…Spaces...Big…Open…Spaces."

"Hillary?" Miriam asked gently, sitting next to her bedside and stroking her hair. "Hillary, it's Miriam."

This made Hillary stop repeating herself.

"Miriam?"

"I…I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"He should have killed me, all of them. Put me out of my misery," cried Hillary. "Why did Bob put me in such danger, Miriam? Why?"

Sighing deeply, Miriam couldn't help but see Hillary as something much more than an employee. To her, she was reminded of how she neglected Helga when running the Beeper Emporium got to her head. However, Hillary had been neglected in the worst possible way.

"I can…I can still remember telling Dion that…that Bob was going to sever ties with them," Hillary gasped as Miriam held her hand tightly while she explained herself. "Next thing I know, Dion says that no one double crosses…the Celtic Mob and he was going to send Bob a message."

Almost immediately, Hillary felt her eyes well up with tears.

"I…I tried to leave," Hillary continued, slightly gasping. "But, two of them…grabbed me and forced me down to the ground…on my back."

Miriam felt her spine tingle with what Hillary said next.

"They…they then proceeded to…undress me, Miriam," Hillary cried. "They started with my white high heels…then my tan stockings…they lifted me up…and pulled off my suit jacket. They then…turned me over and pulled down…my skirt."

Now Miriam's stomach was beginning to turn.

"Then they, cut off my undershirt. One of them wanted to remove…my bra and panties, Miriam. But, Dion said…no, he wanted me to remain alive…and keep my dignity."

Now Miriam felt nothing but shear sympathy for Hillary as the young woman struggled to hold back her tears no longer.

"And then they tied you," Miriam finished. "And threw you in the trunk of your car. Hillary, I'm so sorry."

"I thought…" Hillary sobbed. "I thought that workplaces…are supposed to protect their…employees, Miriam. Why would Bob do this…to me? If he sent a man, then maybe…things would be different. Is he…is he going…?"

"Yes, Hillary. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years."

Those words did little to help Hillary out.

…

Just then, the door to Hillary's room opened and in stepped a psychologist.

"May I help you?" he asked in a German accent as Miriam rose to her feet.

"I'm Miriam Pataki, Hillary's boss at the Beeper Emporium," Miriam replied. "If you want me to leave…"

"No, no, no," the psychologist replied, gesturing Miriam to sit down. "In fact, Hillary was telling me about you, fraulein. Are you working at the Beeper Emporium now?"

"Yes, full time now," answered Miriam. "Why do you ask me?"

"Because I've been considering on leaving…the Beeper Emporium," cried Hillary. "Bob always put business…ahead of our personal needs. One time, he forced me to stay 8 hours…when I had a head cold. It turned into severe pneumonia."

Miriam was shocked to hear such a thing, especially coming from her own husband.

"What about when he asked you to go bring the message to O'Grady?" Miriam asked. "And I'm just trying to understand the situation, that's all."

"Because…because he didn't want anyone being killed by the gangsters. In fact, Bob said that gangsters will kill men, but mess up women."

The more Hillary spoke, the more disgusted Miriam had become with Bob and his actions. In her mind, what Bob always said was not the truth.

"Big…open…spaces….big…open…spaces."

In fact, Miriam began to sense of something else in the Beeper Emporium concerning Hillary.

"Hillary, I know this is a tough question," Miriam asked. "But, I've been hearing stories…of inappropriate behavior going on in the Beeper Emporium. Is that true?"

"I was…always the target…for them," gasped Hillary. "Bob allowed the employees…to do whatever they want. But, I stuck…to the tasks. They would…touch me inappropriately, tell me that I was hot…and that I…"

But Hillary couldn't finish her sentence, leaving Miriam feeling shocked and betrayed that her husband would allow such behavior.

"I always came in professional, Miriam," Hillary cried. "I dressed nice, I looked nice and the others look like they came…off of the streets. Maybe it's how I present myself and…"

"I want you to understand that there is nothing wrong with looking your best, Hillary," Miriam said. "Most business do require their employees to dress professionally. That's what I did when I began working at the Beeper Emporium. Still, this kind of behavior is intolerable, Hillary. If you stay, I promise to make some sweeping changes withing the Emporium. Safety will be my number one priority."

Those words did little to help Hillary as Miriam got up to leave.

"Keep me informed if anything else happens," Miriam said to the doctor handing her a business card from the Beeper Emporium. Then, she lighted hugged Hillary and proceeded to leave the room.

…

Back at the Beeper Emporium, Miriam walked inside and now had a deeper understanding that things needed to change beyond strictly bringing in disabled and special needs people as employees. She needed to put safety ahead of profit and right away, she proceeded to her husband's office.

"Hey, Miriam," he remarked as she shut the door behind her. "You look upset."

"I was just into see Hillary," Miriam replied. "B, why have been putting safety second and profits first?"

Bob was surprised by this revelation.

"What do you mean?"

"Because Hillary was telling me," Miriam said as she sat down. "They she had been the targets of inappropriate behavior by some of the employees here. And you wonder why the turnover rate has been high."

"Hey if people want a job, I can't just turn them away, Miriam," said Bob.

"Just because you hire people doesn't mean that they have the right to do whatever they want, Bob," retorted Miriam. "Right now, we have two issues to worry about: workplace safety AND disabled employees making a difference here. Why don't you think about it for a while?"

So Miriam left Bob alone to think about what needed to be done for business improvement and employee safety…


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Safety Above All Else"

That night, Bob couldn't sleep. He just sat on the sofa with the TV on and his mind in deep thought. Miriam had laid down the law against him and there was nothing he can do to counter her.

The next morning, he called all of the employees together in the conference room for a staff meeting. With his wife by his side, Bob was going to make some serious changes that would be proven beneficial for the future of the Emporium.

"Look, guys," he began the meeting. "The reason I called you all here together this morning was because…of what happened to Hillary."

Some of the female employees cringed as Bob brought up the topic of Hillary's situation.

"To begin with, Miriam and I have decided…"

Miriam sternly cleared her throat at Bob when he tried to denounce responsibility as head of the Emporium.

"I decided," he corrected. "That we will no longer associate or work with the organized gangs of Boston or any other city for that matter."

"Yo, Big Bob," called a slobberly dressed gangster employee. "What you mean we ain't doing business with the gangs? They's are dough."

"As of now, Antonio, they are not our dough anymore," interjected Miriam, walking over towards the employee. "What those men do are of evil and perversion, not of wealth and fame. So, if I were you, I'd get used to not having these people into our business."

Antonio could only gulp nervously at Miriam's glance as she walked away from him.

"Look," Bob continued. "I've been putting profit over your own personal safety and I apologize if I unintentionally put you in harm's way. Going forward, we will be putting safety over profits."

Some of the employees were welcoming of this news, others were not, including Antonio.

"I understand some of you have families to support," added Miriam. "Bob and I have daughters to look after, well, one of them at least. But, that's besides the point. The fact is that all of us want to go to work and come home at night with safety and peace of mind. We promise you that what happened to Hillary, shall not happen to any of you."

However, not all of the employees were listening. Antonio merely rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Hillary was probably too hot for the O'Grady dude," he remarked, trying to shake off Miriam's glancing attitude. "I mean, youse should have sent a dude, Big Bob. I would have taught him the meaning of respect."

"Do that, and you would more than likely return in a body bag, Antonio," Miriam said to him again. "In fact, all of you should be thankful that Hillary was found alive. These so-called clients you have all been working with are dangerous and should be steered clear. Furthermore, I'm not just reserving Hillary's victimizing to the gangster associates we work with. I also understand some of you were targeting Hillary. This is behavior that we will not tolerate! Is that clear?"

Still, Antonio didn't change his outlook on the situation.

"Why you expect us to believe that Carpy didn't want us messing around with her?" he flounced, lighting up a cigarette. "She was asking for it a few times."

Once again, Miriam kept her eyes on Antonio. In her mind, she could see that Antonio would not be part of the long term success of the Beeper Emporium.

"I think I can see you for who you are, Antonio," Miriam thundered, slamming her hand on the table. "You have no respect for the female customers that come into our store and for the female employees that you work with! Ever since I stepped foot in this business, you've had it in for me. Even when I began my tenure here filling in for Bob here!"

Then Miriam gave her full attention to Antonio's cigarette.

"And take that cigarette out of your mouth," she commanded, much to Antonio's irritation. "Your tough guy act isn't going to save you in the end. In fact, I think it ends for you today, Antonio."

"Go ahead, like I give a damn," he remarked.

"Okay then," Miriam said firmly once again banging her hand on the table and pointing to Antonio. "You're fired."

"Whatever."

And the dismissed former employee of the Beeper Emporium smugly walked out of the conference room, giving the bird to the rest of the employees as he left.

"Anyone else want to leave?" Miriam asked. "Well?"

No sooner did Miriam say that did three more male employees get up and leave, all of them giving Bob and Miriam cold looks as they left. Miriam and Bob then waited for anyone else to get up and leave, but no one did.

"Good," she said. "For those employees who just left, they refuse to accept any changes that Bob and I are planning to put in. The next big change will be for hiring staff itself."

Some of the employees became nervous, thinking that the Pataki's would just randomly fire some of them.

"Rest assured," Bob said, much to the relief of the remaining staff. "That none of you are being fired much like the four people who left before you. Miriam is going to be overseeing the bringing in of special needs employees into the Emporium. In fact, that's only the beginning."

"What do you mean, Big Bob?" asked a young male employee, raising his hand.

"I mean, Edwards, that we are also going to be scouring a new location for this business," answered Bob. "Because we will no longer associate with the gangs of Boston, there is no need for us being here in a seedy area of Boston. These things will take time, but I can assure you that these changes will be the best for every single of us in this room. Any questions?"

No one asked any questions.

"Very well," said Bob. "We open now, get to it."

The rest of the employees got up and left the conference to open the business for another day.

"Okay," Miriam said, rising to her feet. "I think they got the message."

"Yeah," Bob replied. "You think this is only the beginning?"

Miriam gave him a quizzed look.

"You think this is only the beginning?" she repeated Bob's words. "Of course it is, B! We're going to take this one step at a time and very soon…we will build a relationship not just in Boston, but throughout the United States and maybe even in other countries as well."

And Bob watched as Miriam left, knowing that the Beeper Emporium had a long road ahead of it…a very long road.

…

THE END

…


End file.
